


Book I: The Magician

by DarkeShayde



Series: The Arcana: A Retelling [1]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Beginnings, F/M, Fortune Telling, Magic, Mystery, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 10:18:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15168545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkeShayde/pseuds/DarkeShayde
Summary: Shayde, a student of the magical arts, bids farewell to her teacher, Asra, and welcomes an unexpected, midnight visitor to the humble shop. Her life is about to take an exciting, if not dangerous, turn.





	Book I: The Magician

I am a student of the magical arts. I live in the kingdom of Vesuvia, ruled by the Countess Nadia, wife of the late Count Lucio. My master is Asra, the fortune teller. I know absolutely nothing of his past. As for the present ...

“I’ll miss you.” Asra says to me. It’s the dead of a moonless night. The right time for beginning a journey, according to him. I personally like my sleep too much and hate traveling when I can’t see. But each to their own, I suppose. Asra is not what most would call normal.

Asra looks young, though I do not know his exact age. His skin is a golden brown, which is an interesting contrast to his fluffy white hair. Everyone always says that he has captivating eyes, as they are a deep violet color that is very rarely seen. Asra tends to dress in loose fitting shirts over brown and black pants with a shawl thrown over him. I can’t understand how he stands to wear that gold choker in this heat or how he stands to wear two necklaces at once, though I suppose the simple blue gem on a cord is light enough not to annoy.

“Here ... take this.” Asra continues before I can say anything about him staying so he doesn’t have to miss me so much. “For you to play with while I am gone.” A gift? This can’t be good. Gifts are for long or permanent partings. I do hope this is neither.

“My Tarot deck.” Asra announces as he hands me the cards. These cards give me a creepy feeling that just lingers. I’m really not sure I want them around, but it feels wrong to turn down a gift from Asra. Especially when I never know when, or even if, he’ll be back.

“You think I’m ready, Master?” I ask. Asra smirks slightly. His expressions are always so subtle. It took me quite a while to notice the minute changes and even longer to interpret their meanings.

“You’re still calling me that ...“ He muses. “You know I can’t answer that for you. You’ve made incredible progress, but still won’t let go of your doubt. Do _you_ think you are ready?” He spins the questioning back around at me as he is always so good at. I can feel my frustrations mounting.

“Why don’t you ever answer my questions?” I mutter. Asra actually looks surprised and somewhat hurt by my backhanded insult, but I can’t take it back now.

“I don’t?” He wonders. “Well, I may not have all the answers you seek. But ... the cards do. If you know how to use them. And you _do_ know how to use them, whether you believe it or not.” Master Asra has that look in his eyes as he pulls back the curtain leading to the back room.

“Let’s see how well you’ve learned.” He says. “It’s been a while since we’ve practiced.” I narrow my eyes at that. Like it was my fault that we haven’t been practicing. I can’t tell if he is just oblivious or is deliberately trying to get me agitated. Either way ...

“Because you’re always gone?” I can’t help but quip as I walk toward the back room. I regret the jab at him, when Asra looks away guiltily. Maybe I pushed too far.

“Maybe.” Is the quiet reply. “Someday you’ll find a _real_ teacher ... Well, I’m here now. Let’s see how powerful you’ve become.” He’s always going on about how ‘powerful’ and ‘gifted’ I am ... Most of the time, I feel as though I am blindly stumbling through when something tells me that it should be easy. Like something I once had is missing or hidden from me. I am lost in these thoughts when Asra speaks again.

“Oh?” Something brushes along my ankle, smooth and cool. I look down to see a long, pale snake, slithering quietly along the floorboards. I’m not usually a fan of snakes, but this one doesn’t bother me. Never can I remember seeing such beautiful, shimmering scales in nature.

“We are not alone.” The fortune teller says cryptically. This serpent is Faust, Asra’s familiar. She’s pleased to see me, I think. It is hard to tell. The snake has one hell of a poker face.

“If we’re all here ... let’s begin.” Asra says. We sit at the small reading table in the back room and I shuffle the deck. His gaze follows the cards as they slip through my fingers. I lay three cards, face down, on the table between us, but I only have to flip over one.

“... The High Priestess.” I announce.

“And what is she telling you?” Comes his query. He leans closer, expectantly looking between me and the cards. “Is she speaking to you now?” When the cards speak to me, it isn’t in any audible, human tongue. Nothing that can be heard with my ears. Nonetheless, when my mind is clear, the answer always comes to me. Now is no different. I know exactly what to say.

“You’ve forsaken her.” I tell him. For a moment, all is still in the little shop. I can tell my words have stunned him. I am a little surprised myself, if I am being honest.

“I have?” Asra asks, his brow furrowed in concern. This is clearly not what he was expecting to hear, but the cards tell the truth, always.

“Yes.” I continue. “You’ve pushed her away, and buried her voice. She calls out to you, but you won’t listen. Master ... if you don’t listen to her ...“ I am interrupted then by a sharp knocking that startles all three of us. A customer?

“Did you forget to put out the lantern again?” Asra asks, once again deflecting, though the reading was his idea in the first place. “Just as well. I can’t stay any longer.” I follow him out of the back room as he prepares to leave again.

“Well then ... take care of yourself.” He says. Asra turns to go, but stops abruptly. He still has something to say, but he won’t say it. Some things never change.

“Until we met again.” Is what he says instead. Asra parts the curtains soundlessly and slips out the back door after donning his hat and a scarf around his face. And just like that, he is gone again.


End file.
